“I intend to stand and win as a Labor candidate”

Veteran left winger Diane Abbott has said she intends to “run and win” as a Labor candidate.

Ms Abbott’s announcement came in response to reports suggesting she was still weighing options and considering accepting a peerage.

On Sunday, a report in the Sunday Times suggested that a number of former Labor MPs, including Ms Abbott, had been offered peerages to resign and open up seats for allies of party leader Sir Keir Starmer.

Ms Abbott wrote on X: “This is factually incorrect.

“I have never been offered a seat in the Lords and I would not accept one if offered.

“I am the adopted Labor candidate for Hackney North and Stoke Newington. I intend to stand and win as a Labor candidate.”

Ms Abbott was suspended from the Labor Party last year after suggesting that Jews, Irish and Travelers suffered prejudice but not racism, sparking a long-running process which saw her sit as independent MP.

She reinstated the post of Labor whip this week, but was told he could be “banned” from standing for the party in the general election.

For days, Sir Keir refused to say whether Ms Abbott would defend her seat in Hackney North and Stoke Newington on July 4, as he faced allegations of a “purge” of left-wing candidates.

On Friday he said she was “free” to run after the row over her candidacy overshadowed much of the Labor campaign story last week.

Ms Abbott’s supporters accused the Labor leadership of “eliminating the left” from the party, citing the choice not to allow academic Faiza Shaheen or former MPs Lloyd Russell-Moyle to stand for election.

Ms Shaheen was blocked from standing in the Chingford and Woodford Green constituency as a Labor candidate, allegedly due to previous posts on social media site X.

Mr Russell-Moyle, the former Brighton Kemptown MP, was told he could not stand after being suspended by the Labor Party over what he called a ‘vexatious and politically motivated complaint’ against him.

Men seen as more politically aligned with Sir Keir have been announced as parliamentary candidates, including executive committee member Luke Akehurst, Torsten Bell, head of the Resolution Foundation think tank, and Alex Barros-Curtis, a legal assistant. who led Sir Keir’s campaign to become Labor leader.

Labor colleague Shami Chakrabarti, a close friend of Ms Abbott, said she had advised her to “take time to think about what she wants to do”.

Baroness Chakrabarti told the BBC on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “It was quite appalling to try to intimidate someone of her stature.”

She added: “It’s not good for Keir Starmer’s leadership, it’s not good for the Labor Party, and it hasn’t been very nice for Diane and for common decency. »